Bed



July 1, 1941. o. L. BOHLEN BED Filed Jan. 11, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet l July 1, 1941. Q; BQHLEN 2,247,598

BED Filed Jan. 11, 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 I 9 5 a l 2;.

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ll 16 H 48 H- Inventor O'V/D L. BoHLE/v,

A itorneys Patented July 1, 1941 TAT f".

'l' F -F I E 1 Siaim.

My invention relates to improvements in folding beds of the crib type for infants.

The invention is designed with the particular purpose in view of providing a, light-weight, crib type bed of sturdy construction which may be readily converted into a play pen for a child and collapsed into compact folded form for storage or other purposes.

Another object is to provide a bed of the type and for the purposes above set forth which is adjustable as regards height from the floor, adapted for vertical vibratory movement to quiet a child, and designed to be partially supported on the back seat of an automobile and partially on the floor thereof so that it may be used in such a vehicle without danger of upsetting therein.

To the accomplishmentof the above, and subordinate objects presently appearing, a preferred embodiment of my invention has been illustrated in the accompanying drawings, set forth in detail in the succeeding description, and defined in the claim appended hereto.

In said drawings:

Figure l is a view in perspective of the preferred embodiment of my invention,

Figure 2 is a view in transverse section taken on the line 22 :of Figure 1 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows and illustrating in broken lines the manner in which the sides are foldable,

Figure 3 is a view in longitudinal section taken on the line 33 of Figure 1 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows and illustrating the manner in which the ends are foldable,

Figure 4 is a view in vertical section of one of the corner posts and legs drawn to an enlarged scale,

Figure 5 is a detail view in transverse section drawn to an enlarged scale and taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 3 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows,

Figure 6 is a view in longitudinal section of the bed completely folded,

Figure 7 is a similar view in transverse section taken on the line 'l'l of Figure 6 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows, and

Figure 8 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the use of the bed in an automobile.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, the bed, as illustrated therein comp-rises a box-like, rectangular base frame I, preferably of wood, and rectangular form and. including flat end bars 2 and side bars 3. The side bars 3 are higher than the end bars 2 for a purpose presently clear.

-A bottom Q of suitable SiZe'tO fit with a slight clearance in the frame I is yieldingly suspended from the bars .2 and :3 by coil springs '8 soas to play up and down between said bars. The springs ii are spaced along the .bars .2, 3, at suitable locations and provided with upper hooked ends 1 detachably secured in eye screws 8 extending from the inner faces of said bars. The lower ends of the springs 6 may .be extended through apertures A in the bottom 4 and with pins 9 extending through :thelower ends thereof to secure said springsito said bottom.

The side bars 3 are provided on the bottom edges thereof with button-like skids ill, of any suitable material, spaced apart along the same as desired and facilitating sliding of the frame along a floor or thelike when the bed is used as a pen or folded.

The ends H of the bedeach comprise a pair of preferably square corner posts l2 of wood, or other suitable material, with a panel structure 53 extending between the same, said panels preferably comprising base rails it opposed to the end bars 2 exteriorly thereof. Each end I2 is attached to one of the end bars 2 exteriorly thereof by a pair of hinges I5 suitably secured to the base rail is and the top edge of the adjacent end bar .2, the arrangement in this respect being such that said ends may be folded from upright position inwardly and downwardly over the end bars 2 and below the top edges-of the side bars -3, and unfolded into upright position with the lower ends of the posts l2 opposed flat against the outer faces of the end bars 2 thereby establishing their unfolded positions. In this connection, the posts l2 are so designed that when the ends II are unfolded, the base ends of said posts do not extend below the frame I. Thus, as will presently be seen, the overall length of the bed when folded is reduced to a minimum.

Each post [2 is provided with an axial bore, as at l6, extending inwardly from the lower end thereof .and in which is slidably mounted for extension and retraction a tubular leg ll of light strong metal equipped at the lower end thereof with a suitable caster l8. A coil spring, as at I9, in the bore iii of each leg l2 and interposed between the inner end of the bore and the leg urges the latter outwardly and cushions retraction thereof. Each post I2 is provided opposite the spring IS with an aperture 20 for the extension therethrough and into the bore I6 of a pin 2| to be inserted between convolutions of the coil spring I9 and thereby shortening the effective length thereof so as to correspondingly vary the cushioning action of the spring against the leg. A thumb screw 22 is provided in each post l2 adjacent the lower end thereof for clampingly engaging the post to retain the latter in selected set positions and thereby vary the height of the bed as will be clear. By leaving the thumb screws 22 loose, the coil springs 19 may be utilized to yieldingly support the weight of the body of the bed so that said body may be vibrated vertically on the legs II.

The sides 24 of the bed are of lattice-like form, each including a lower flat bar 23. The lower bars 23 are hinged, as at 25, to the side bars 3 to extend along the upper edges thereof, so that said sides may be folded from upright position inwardly and downwardly. In this connection the length of the sides 24 is such that in the unfolded upright position thereof they engage flat against the corner posts 12, whereby their unfolded position is established and folding thereof prevented until the ends H of the bed have been folded. Also, as best shown in Figure 7, one side bar 3 is higher than the other so that the side 24 hinged thereto may fold flat down on the other side of the bed. Hooks 26 on the sides 24, at the ends thereof and eye screws 27 on the posts 12 provide inexpensive means for connecting the sides and ends of the bed together in the unfolded position thereof and thereby preventing the same from collapsing. One of the sides 24 of the bed preferably comprises upper and lower sections 28, 29 hinged together, as at 30, so that the upper section 28 may be swung outwardly and downwardly on the lower one for easy access to the interior of the bed.

The manner in which the bed is collapsed, or folded, will be readily understood. The legs I! are first retracted into the posts !2 to the limit of such movement in that direction and against the tension of the springs IS, the pins 2| having been first removed. The thumb screws 22 are next turned against said legs I! to hold the same in retracted position. The hooks 26 are next disengaged from the eye screws 27. The ends I I are then folded inwardly and downwardly over the bottom 4, as indicated by broken lines in Figure 3, edge to edge, it being understood that said ends II are of the proper dimension to be so folded. In the folded positions of said ends II the leaves of the hinges l5 abut and limit folding movement of said ends so that they are maintained in a common plane as shown in Figure 6. The sides 24 are next folded inwardly and downwardly, the one hinged on the side bar 3 of reduced height being folded first, and the other side 24 next folded whereby said sides are disposed in overlapping relation flat one upon the other. The manner in which the parts are unfolded will be readily apparent and need not be entered into.

When it'is desired to convert thebed into a pen, the legs I! are removed from the posts I2 in a manner which will be clear, and the bottom 4 detached by uncoupling the springs B from the eye screws 1. The ends II and sides 24 may be unfolded either before or after removal of the legs. The bed is next disposed on the floor, with the frame I supported by the skids I0 and a closed pen is thereby provided for the a child. By virtue of the skids lo the pen may be easily slid from place to place as desired.

As shown in Figure 8, with the legs I! on one side of the bed removed and those on the other side appropriately extended into set position, the frame I may be disposed on the rear seat 3| of an automobile with the extended legs I! resting on the floor 32, it being of course understood that the bed, in this instance, is made of appropriate length to fit into the automobile. In this position of the bed, it cannot tilt off the seat 3i, and upset, the extended legs I! preventing such tilting from occurring.

The foregoing will, it is believed, suflice to impart a clear understanding of my invention with out further explanation.

Mam'festly the invention, as described, is susceptible of modification without departing from the inventive concept and right is herein reserved to such modifications as fall within the scope of the subjoined claim.

What I claim is:

In a bed including a body, hollow corner posts on said body, legs extending from said posts and endwise slidable therein, coil springs in said posts cushioning the posts against the legs whereby the body may be vibrated vertically on said legs, means on said posts for varying the cushioning action of said springs from the outside of said posts, and set screws in said posts for locking the legs thereto to prevent vibration of said body at will.

OVID L. BOHLEN. 

